Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-08-09
PARCHED By THE Sun.
TERRIBLE DROUTH IN THE NORTHWEST
LIS HEAVILY on THE EARTH.
No Ram for Ten Weebs-Thres Inches Of Dust on
the Ro2t-Horros Suffering Of Man and Beas.
Wells Polluted aud Pysueacs Feared
Cattle Turned Ont

CHICAGO, August s.-Thcre is an are
Of perhaps 5000 square miles IN tn
Northwest where the dust lies heavily upo
the earth.
The district Is bounded by Madison o
the north, Bloomington on the south, LAX
Michigan on the east, and the Mississipp
river on the west. 1t is within the limit
Of these boundaries that vegetation has los
its snormal color aud the earth its moisture
Day after day the sun sends its buruiul
rays 1p0n the pTched farms and fields
Leaves are falling from the trees, the gras
IN the meadows has grown yellow IN,
white, and the streams IN which the cat
tie used TO slake their thirst me as dry u
powder horns. II has been nearly ter
weeks since 4 soaking rain iell in tins dis
trict.
The Big Bull thistle-the pest Of nearly
every farm has at last succumbed to The
fate of all other vegetation The biz weeC
first wilted, then turned black, and finally
fell upon the earth. With not enough
moisture in the ground To feed thistle
the condition Of corn aud the tender graS,
IN the meadow may he imagined. In
Southern Wisconsin there are thousands 0
acres where corn will not yield peck Il
the acre. The crop has been scorched and
almost totally destroyed The leaves ol
the cereal are yellow and brittle and
dro0p almost to the ground.
The loss of the corn crop, serious as is,
will not Imp0yerlSh the farmers They
have lived in the country since the land
was FIRST titled, and have, lur the most
part, laid hy enough money to carry them
through a winter. But there are other
dangers to he confronted. Wells have run
dry aud IN some towns water iamintS are
imminent. The drinking water at hand
is often polluted and filled with poisonous
germs. Typhoid fever is becoming more
prevalent, and dys.ntery and other stom-
ach Troubles are - common in some places
as To he almost epidemic. Unless rain falls
before many days, the suffering viii he
greatly augmented.
The intense heat M. been Il terrific
strain upon men, but its effect upon cattle
has been simply appalling, without pas
tguge To browse upon or pools lu which to
stand during the hot hours OF thu day. the
poor beasts have become so emaEciated a~
to be wholly uumarkrtablr The farmers
in the dairy districts have in some in
stances been compelled To feed aud watcII
their COWS from their own harder In utherI
places forest trees have been ielled aud.
dragged To the pastures, and the cattlg
turned loose to browse upon the leaves
Hundreds of cows are being killed an,
shipped to market for a mere pitlauce. 4
III one GARNER bought ten heal
1f cattle last January at so per hrut.
Wnen he offered 10 sell the cItur
herd last week Tor 500 he muld
lO' find purchaser Farmers in tbs dis
Tict have already turned their rltte loose
10 feed upon the crops. In some Ilaccs
rnrgs have been run through curnhrldS,
,uT tl4 -tur,.,.,.. ..., ..'.. ...-...... S.rl
lp0u the leaves and stalks. When these
nave been eaten. the fences are extended
lutjI thr cutrr fields have been eaten clean.
Added to all the ml~rrrrs attending the
great drought Is the constant fear Of fires
The tall grass OF the prIiyieS Is dead, ,h,
fields are ready to burst into flame, and.
caves lie iu heaps IN the forests. 4 spark
start, a tire and the hh-tcrIug Slh1rI-likr
wind fans the tllmr into a contlagrl,ion.
Already the land tncompaS,ed hy the
boundaries has been blackeuri by wild
Tres. In some towns the pec.
Pie are often called ont three
and four times day to fight the
lanes. Destructiy" fires have been raging